Sean McHenry

Associate Producer

SHORT BIO

Sean is based in Los Angeles, California.

He works on the flagship broadcast show “Marketplace,” where he produces host interviews, first-person stories via the “My Economy” series, and directs (he’s one of the people who picks the music you hear on the show).

Sean graduated from the University of Michigan and got his formal entry to radio as an intern on Michigan Radio’s daily newsmagazine “Stateside.” Before that, his notable jobs include writing teacher, barista, and he was briefly a janitor. He enjoys being a big nerd over coffee and TV, especially sci-fi and reality TV.

Latest Stories (399)

Why Egypt's Queen Nefertiti is one of the original beauty influencers

Nov 24, 2023
When Queen Nefertiti's bust was revealed to the world in 1920's, she caused a commotion in the fashion and beauty industry. "You would see hair salons, for example, in America have replicas of her bust in their windows," said journalist and author Zahra Hankir.
When it was unveiled in the 1920s, Queen Nefertiti's bust was a sensation in the beauty industry. "You would see hair salons in America have replicas of her bust in their windows," said Zahra Hankir. "You would see fashion houses craft lines that were entirely inspired by Nefertiti."

There's big business behind those annoying CAPTCHA puzzles

Nov 22, 2023
As AI becomes more sophisticated, the industry is growing to match it, says journalist Justin Pot, who wrote about CAPTCHA for The Atlantic.
milindri/Getty Images

Content creator economy is everywhere, but labor data and protections are sparse

Nov 9, 2023
The government has virtually no data on this mostly unregulated, $250 billion global industry, says Drew Harwell of The Washington Post.
"This is a market of millions of people around the world who work as creators or influencers," said Drew Harwell at The Washington Post.
Phillippe Lopez/AFP via Getty Images

How much are employers paying for labor? That's where the ECI comes in.

Oct 30, 2023
The employment cost index, a favorite Federal Reserve data point, captures the cost of employing people, including benefits.
The employment cost index doesn't just calculate wages. It also factors in how much employers spend on benefits.
Mario Tama/Getty Images

A Tulsa sneaker store deals with a down market

Oct 24, 2023
"There are opportunities in down markets," said owner Venita Cooper, whose entrepreneurial abilities could help her tackle the challenge.
"I love sneakers, but I also just really love markets," said Venita Cooper of Silhouette Sneakers & Art. "And there are opportunities to be had in down markets."
Ed Jones/AFP via Getty Images

LinkedIn's "wholesome" vibe could be making it popular with teens

Oct 18, 2023
In addition to getting career boosts, young people like the platform for its positive tone, says journalist Anya Kamenetz.
"I got responses from, like, 65 teenagers," says journalist Anya Kamenetz. "And I just was so surprised to see LinkedIn coming up again and again."
S3studio/Getty Images

For this Michigan business owner, wage hikes are tied to price hikes

Oct 16, 2023
Annie Lang Hartman, owner of Wild Lettie, is planning ahead. And one of her biggest concerns is payroll.
"We're kind of settling into fall, which is a little bit quieter for us," said Annie Lang Hartman of Wild Lettie. Above, the interior of one of her shops.
Courtesy Lang Hartman

A decade after its debt crisis, Greece's economy may have recovered

Oct 5, 2023
"In the last several years, there's been sort of an acceleration of an economic turnaround," said Liz Alderman at the New York Times. "We're basically at a point now where Greece is essentially booming."
"Huge numbers of people have been visiting Greece," said New York Times chief Europe business correspondent Liz Alderman. "That's helped to drive a boom in everything from construction to services."
Spyros Bakalis/AFP via Getty Images

Wave forecasting site Surfline has changed how people surf

Oct 4, 2023
Surfline follows conditions at hundreds of beaches all over the world, but some surfers don’t think it’s so swell.
Knowing the best time to hit the beach should be a win for surfers, right? "This gets at a question of the spirit of the sport," says writer and surfer Caroline Mimbs Nyce. "Is this a cheat code to only go when it's really ideal?"
Eros Hoagland/Getty Images

Will high yields on the 10-year T-note jeopardize the "soft landing"?

Oct 4, 2023
The yield hit a 16-year record Tuesday. Could that mean trouble for the Federal Reserve's effort to cool inflation and prevent a recession?
It has long been said that if you want to know where the economy is headed, look at the bond market. Could the bond market be wrong this time?
David Dee Delgado/Getty Images